Bustle



(No Model.)

` 'T .RTAYLOR BUSTLB.

Patented Deo. 13, 1887.

No.l 374,642,

` UNITED STATES PATE-NT Ormea.

THOMAS P. TAYLOR, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'NO. 374,642, dated December13, 1887.

Application clon July 25, lem. seal No. 245,181. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

' Be it known that I, THOMAS P. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Bustles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such, as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to the class of folding bustles in which a seriesof ribs or bows are pivotally connected at the opposite sides of thebustle, and has for its object to provide improved means for returningthe bustle to its distended position when pressure is removed after ithas been forced to its folded or collapsed position.

Figure l is a perspective illustrating my improved bustle complete; Fig.2, an enlarged detail perspective, the position of the bustle beingreversed and the portion toward the point of view being removed,the'bustle being in the distended position; Fig. 3, a similar view, thebustle being in thev folded or collapsed position; and Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, a flat spring being used instead of a wire spring, asin the other views.

l denotes the side pieces; 2, the ribs or bows, the ends of which arepivotally secllred to the side pieces, or to one of the other ribs; 3,the connecting-strip to which each of the ribs is attached; 4, the belt;5, side strips connecting the beltwith the side pieces, and 6 anadjusting-cord. These parts may all be of any preferred construction. Iordinarily, however, make them substantially as shown in the drawings.

In use when the wearer sits down the ribs fold upward toward the personof the wearer, the entire bustle being compressed into very smallcompass. In order to throw the ribs to the distended position when thewearer rises, various styles of independent springs have heretofore beenused, which, however, have proved very unsatisfactory, for the reasonthat owing to the position in which the springs are placed when thebustle is collapsed the power is partially and sometimes wholly lost,the line of strain being a downward pllll upon the ribs, which locks.them in the collapsed position, instead of acting to throw them to.

are -made of wire, as in Figs. 1 and 2, I pref erably provide a coil atthe intersection of the arms.

In use I pivot the end of one arm of the spring to the side piece at asuitable distance above the lower end thereof, and pivot the otherarm toone of the lower ribs at a suitable distance fronl its pivotal point tothe side piece. These points of attachment of the arms of the spring tothe bustleV are so arranged relatively to each other that when thebustle is collapsed the arms are pressed directly toward each other, thepivotal points of the springs turning slightly as the bustle iscompressed.

I preferably use a spring at each of the lower corners of the bustle,and connect their inner ends by a cord, 8, sov that it is impossible forthem to get out of operative position.

It will be seen that when my improved bustle is collapsed the entireforce of the sprin g acts to throwv the bustle to the distended positionas soon as pressure is removed, none of the power of the spring beinglost, as is the casein every other style of bustle in which independentreturning-springs are used. The position of the springs when'the bustleis in the collapsed position is clearly shown in Fig.

3, and the position in the distended position is clearly shown in Fig.2.

Having thus described my invention, I

claimv A bustle consisting of side pieces, a series of ribspivotally'secured thereto, springs hav- `ward toward each other, and acord,' 8, coning arms at an angle to each other, and coils necting thecoils. Io at the intersection of the arms, one of the In testimonywhereof I aix my signature in arms of each spring being pivotallyattached presence of two witnesses.

5 to a side piece and the other arm pivotally THOMAS P. TAYLOR.

attached to one of t-he lower ribs, at a suitable `Witnesses: distancefrom its pivotal point to the side A. M. Woos'rER, piece, the bows ofsaid springs projecting in- C. E. RUGGLES.

